Improvement in hand-plows



W. 1.. MAYS & A. B. enu.

HAND-PLOW. Y lie-177,262., Patented MayB, 1876.

INV NTORS ATTORNEYS WITNESSES N PETERS. PHOTO-LITNOGRlPHER, WASHINGTONv D C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' WILLIAM L. MAYS AND ANDREW B. TIGRETT, OF DYERSBURG, TENNESSEE.

IMPROVEMENT IN HAND-FLOWS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 177,262, dated May 9, 1876; application filed August 7, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM L. MAYS and ANDREW B. TIGRET, of Dyersburg, in the county of Dyer and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Hand-Cultivators; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of a plan view of our cultivator, .and "Fig. 2 is a side View of the same. Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 represent different cultivating attachments in common use.

This invention has relation to hand cultivating-machines; and it consists in the construction and novel arrangement of the handles, extending in front of and below the axis of the gage-wheel, which is journaled thereto, the bifurcated drag-beam, bolted to the extended ends of said handles, and the bracebars, as hereinafter fully shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings, the letters AA designate the handles orpush-bars, whereby the operator propels the machine, and at the same time presses the blade of the culti vatin g tool attached to the drag-beam into the soil. These handles have the general form of plowhandles, and are made of considerable length, two transverse braces, to a, being usually employed. B represents the gage wheel, arranged between these handle-bars and journaled' to the same, as shown at 1). Below the journal or axis of the wheel the bars A extend in a spread position, as indicated at c. D represents the drag-beam. The rear end of this beam is curved downward, and perforated for the reception of the bolts or studs whereby the shovel, weed-cutter, cultivator, or other blade is attached. The forward portion of this beam is divided into two branches, d d, which pass one on each side of the wheel, and are bolted to the spread extensions 0 of the handle-bars. Adjusting perforations e e are provided for bringing the cultivating-blade more under the wheel when desired. spreading of the lever ends and bifurcation of the drag-beam give lateral rigidity to the implement, and enable the operator to direct the cultivator-tooth with precision by means of the handles. E indicates adjusting-braces, which are pivoted to the branches of the dragbeam on each side'ot' the wheel, and are provided at their upper ends with a series of perforations, z 2', through which short bolts 9 are passed. By means of these braces the angular relation of the drag-bar to the handles is regulated to suit the height of the operator and the depth of the'work required. Cultivating-blades of any character may be attached to the drag-bar. The machine may be employed with a clearing-blade, turner, orany of the implements already mentioned.

t will be observed that the forward ends of the bifurcated drag-beam D are perforated at e 0, so that the dragbeam may be adjusted forward to bring its tooth nearly under the gage-wheel, when the curved rear end of the bifurcated portion of the dragbeam will act as a scraper in sticky soil for the gage-wheel.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

, The single-wheel hand-cultivator herein described, haring the handle-levers A A, carryin g the journals of the wheel B, and extended forward and downward beyond said journals in a spread position, the oblique shovel-beam D, bifurcated atv d d, provided with the adjustin g perforations e e, and pivoted to the spread extended ends of said levers, and the adjustable connecting-braces E, constructed and arranged as shown and described.

In testimony that we claim the above'we have hereunto subscribed our names in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM L. MAYS. ANDREW B. TIGRETT. Witnesses: J. H. FowLKEs, F. G. SAMPSON. 

